


I May Hate You Sometimes

by TeekiJane



Series: The Boys of Summer [10]
Category: Baby-Sitters Club - Ann M. Martin
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-24
Updated: 2013-09-24
Packaged: 2017-12-27 12:58:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/979193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeekiJane/pseuds/TeekiJane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haley tries to get along with Tiffany. Really, she does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I May Hate You Sometimes

_Now that I’m filled with emotion you’re dispassionate_  
_You only live for yourself while I live to regret_  
_But don’t ever think that I could easily forget_  
The Posies, I May Hate You Sometimes

Haley

I’m still not quite sure how it happened. 

I really thought that a triplet date would be a good idea, when Jordan first broached the idea to me. He didn’t seem really thrilled about it, though. At first I thought it might be residual bad feelings over the Byron/Jeff thing, but I soon changed my mind. And it was By who changed it. 

I was between customers in the bridal department, so I had been sent to clean the front doors. By was pricing candy at the registers. He looked up at me and smiled. “You and Jordan get sucked into this date thingee, too?” 

I made a face. “Date thingee?” I repeated. 

By wrinkled his nose. “You know what I mean. Me and Jeff and Adam and Tiff and you and Jordan?” 

I wiped at the window, looking the other way. “I knew exactly what you meant. I was just making fun of your amazing word skills.” He didn’t dignify that with a response. Instead, he dumped a bin of candy onto the counter and began putting the new chocolate bars on the bottom. Sometimes, razzing By is not as fun as it should be. He’s figured out that he’s way more irritating to me if he doesn’t react in any way, so he just pretends not to hear anything I say. “Okay then. So who is Tiff, exactly?”

By sighed. “Adam is apparently attempting to get back together with his ex. I’m not quite sure why. She totally broke his heart back in the day, though he wouldn’t admit it.” He’d put all the candy back in the bin and started on the next box. 

I stopped wiping and looked over at him. “So…I’m guessing you didn’t like her much, then?” 

He looked thoughtful. “I wouldn’t say that. I didn’t know her very well, so it’s hard to like or dislike her.” Damn him. He’s always so diplomatic. “I will say, however, that I didn’t like what she did to Adam. But that was three years ago. If Adam’s willing to give her another chance, I am too.” 

“You are such a Pollyanna,” I said as I took one last swipe. “Oh, the sky is so blue. Oh, I’m going to give everyone another chance.” I threw the dirty paper towel away in the trashcan behind By’s register. He threw a Snickers bar at me. “Watch it,” I warned. “Those things are lethal.” 

“I’ll get you one of these days,” he threatened. 

I repeated my Pollyanna voice. “Oh, I am so scared!” 

***

And so Jordan and I found ourselves standing outside Pizza Express the Friday before exams started. He was wearing a pair of jeans that looked like they were a size too big and a pair of ratty sneakers that I’ve heard that his mom has tried to throw away…several times. I don’t date Jordan for his fashion sense. He’d paired those clothes with an old t-shirt that was my favorite of his—but not because it was any more fashionable than anything else he wears. He was wearing it the day we first kissed, and after we got back from Maine, he leant it to me. I slept in it for a week before I gave it back to him. 

It was a little chilly that night and I’d stupidly decided to wear a tank top and a pair of capris. “Ugh!” I moaned. “It’s the middle of June. Why is it so freakin’ cold out?” 

Jordan laughed. “To mess with your pretty little head.” I bopped him on the arm with one of my icy cold hands and he pulled me into a big bear hug. “This is snuggle weather,” he explained. 

I burrowed into his armpit where it was nice and warm. “Snuggle? You are such a girl.” 

He laughed again. “No, I am definitely a guy. Would you rather be doing this with a girl?” And then he kissed me. 

We were still kissing when Adam walked up. “Okay, okay. Break it up you two, or I’ll turn a hose on you.” 

“Ugh!” I shivered as we broke our kiss. “Adam! This is not a wet t-shirt contest, so keep your hose to yourself.” Both Adam and Jordan looked at me funny and then started laughing. “That’s _not_ what I meant.” 

Jordan gave Adam a high five over my head. “So where’s Miss Hot Stuff?” he asked. 

Adam grimaced. “You’re not going to say stuff like that to her, are you? You’re not going to make fun of her to her face all night?” 

Jordan made a “who, me?” face. “No,” he said, “I plan to make a subtle mockery of her while she’s here and then make fun of her ‘like that’ behind her back after she’s left.” 

Adam looked disgusted but I laughed. “Jordan,” I fake-chided, hoping to find something humorous to add. Before I could come up with anything witty enough, a model of a girl came walking up. 

The girl was tall and skinny, with long blonde hair. She had high cheek bones and a delicate face shape. Her hair was immaculately done and her makeup was perfect. Her clothes looked like they came from a fancy boutique—or a fashion magazine. They probably cost more than my whole wardrobe put together. 

Somehow, I knew right away she was Tiffany. 

She made me feel like—well, like a child in comparison. She was tall and willowy, almost as tall as the triplets, with decent sized boobs. I’m a little over five feet and can barely scrape up a b cup. Not to mention that my clothes, instead of coming off a runway, come from the kids’ department. 

Adam greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. “Hey.” 

“Sorry I’m late.” She flashed a million-watt smile. 

He returned the grin. “You’re not late; you’re right on time.” 

Tiffany turned to Jordan and me, standing just a few feet away. “Hi, Jordan,” she said with a small waggle of her fingers. 

Jordan took one hand off my back and waved it in a big arc, vaguely in Tiff’s direction, but he didn’t say anything. Adam glared at Jordan, but he just put his hand back and pulled me closer. 

As for me, well, no one had introduced me to Tiff, so I said nothing. My teeth were starting to chatter. If it had been socially acceptable, I would have climbed up into Jordan’s shirt with him. 

If looks could kill, Jordan would have been dead by then. I think that if half the school—and Tiff—hadn’t been there, Adam would have gone off on Jordan. Instead, he composed himself and said, “Tiff, have you met Jordan’s girlfriend, Haley Braddock? Haley, this is Tiffany Kilbourne.” 

I thought about what By said about Adam giving Tiff another chance. I looked at her. Despite her glamour, she was kinda hunched over, biting a fingernail. She looked insecure and unsure. I smiled at her, hoping it would help. “Hi. Nice to meet you.” 

She smiled back tentatively, looking instantly a little bit relieved. “You, too.” 

Adam had stopped glaring at Jordan, but he still looked anxious. “Where the hell is Byron?” he asked. “He’s never late. You can set your watch by him most of the time.” 

I snorted back a laugh, mostly because it was true. Tiff raised her eyebrows. “Oh, I need to explain,” Adam said, turning away from me and toward her. “Our little crew here is a bit…incestuous.” Jordan made a sound along the lines of “pshaw” and Adam turned back to us again. “Not literally, of course. Pervert. Anyway…” His head ping-ponged back to Tiffany. “See, Haley is Byron’s best friend. And our childhood best friend, Jeff, is dating Byron now.” 

“Speak of the devils,” Jordan said, looking over Adam’s shoulder. Byron was hurrying down the sidewalk. He had Jeff by the hand and he was practically dragging him behind him. Jeff was not at a good angle for me to see him, but By looked agitated. 

The two of them came a little bit closer and I got a look at Jeff. He looked sullen and petulant, and he was clearly unhappy that By was pulling him along like a child. Then again, something about his expression made me think of a toddler about to throw a tantrum, so maybe Byron had the right idea. 

“Sorry we’re so late,” By said, letting Jeff go. He went over to Tiffany and gave her a one armed hug, which she gratefully returned. “How are you, Tiff?” he asked. She smiled at him and shrugged. “This is Jeff,” he said, taking Jeff’s hand again, more gently this time. “He’s my…” By trailed off, looking unsure. 

Jeff tried to school his annoyed expression, but he wasn’t too successful at it. “Boyfriend,” he finished. “You can say the word. It won’t hurt.” 

By pursed his lips, and for a second I thought he was going to direct an insult Jeff’s way. Instead, he shrank a little bit and let go of Jeff’s hand. “Boyfriend,” he repeated. 

I looked up at Jordan, interested in his take on the display in front of us. He shrugged at me, but took a bit of control of the situation. “Can we head inside? Haley’s just about cold blooded and I think she’s freezing her ass off.” 

Byron poked my arm with one warm finger. “Maybe if you wore enough clothes for the weather, you wouldn’t have this problem.” I noted that both he and Jeff were wearing jackets. 

“Good advice, Dad,” I said with a roll of my eyes. Jordan laughed, and after a second, Adam and Byron joined him, followed by me and Tiffany. Even Jeff smiled a little bit. 

Jordan let me go and opened the door. “After you,” he said to the group in general. 

I walked in, with Tiffany right behind. The guys followed. Jeff was right in step behind Adam and Tiff, and the three of them walked over to the menu board. Jordan let the door go and smoothed down my hair as he passed. “Honey, you coming?” he asked. 

I nodded. “Give me a second.” Jordan nodded back and threw a glance over at By, who was still standing blocking the door. 

I grabbed By by the arm and pulled him out of the doorway. “What is going on?” I asked. 

“Hay…” By looked like he was about to cry, but he just shook his head. “Later, okay? It’s nothing. Just a little disagreement.” 

I wrinkled my brow. “Let me guess. Jeff said something and you blew it out of proportion and got all ass-hurt about it. Then, instead of telling him how you felt, you said something without thinking and Jeff got all ass-hurt about _that._ Am I close?” He didn’t reply, but the look on his face said it all. “Oh, By,” I said, and I squeezed his arm. “Just wait until you two leave tonight and tell him you’re sorry. He’ll get over it.” 

He sniffled. “This whole night sucks already, and now we have to sit down and play nice so Adam can prove to Tiffany that we don’t hold a grudge against her.” 

I bit my lower lip. “We better get to that part, then. Get it over with.” 

When By and I joined the group, they were all discussing pizza toppings. Adam turned to us. “Please, you two, break the stalemate. We’re thinking two pies, but we can’t decide what to get on each. Any input?” 

I walked past Jordan to where Jeff was trying to hide. I slid my arm around his and gave a tug, gently pulling him into the discussion. “Two? Are you kidding? Byron can eat a whole pizza by himself. Better make it three.” 

By made a face, but everyone else nodded. “Okay, that will work,” Adam said thoughtfully. “One with peperoni for Tiffany and whoever else wants that. One fully loaded. And one with…Jeff, what are you thinking?” 

Jeff shook his head. He no longer looked ready to toss a fit, but instead, tired and emotionless. “Whatever. Cheese. Veggies. Whatever,” he repeated, his voice flat. 

I smiled at him. “How do you feel about mushrooms?” He shrugged but didn’t protest. 

“Oh, yeah,” Adam piped back up. “I’d forgotten about Haley’s obsession with fungus ‘nads. Always have to have some mushroom slices.” I wrinkled my nose at the gonad reference but said nothing. “Okay, are we ready, then? Let’s order and see if there are any seats left.” 

The guys all got in line, but they nominated Tiffany and me to go find seats. It had been decided that “the men” would pay and split it evenly, and I had been dying to see who out of Byron and Jeff was going to pay, but I walked off with Tiff instead. 

There was only one table free, and when we got to it, Tiff made a face. I thought at first that she was unhappy with the fact that the table hadn’t been bussed and there were a few wrappers and crumbs on it, but that notion went away before we ever got our pizzas. 

Adam cruised by with two cups, one of which he handed to Tiff. “Come pick your poison with me,” he said, and he dragged her off the bench by her free hand. She laughed and joined him. 

And so I found myself sitting alone at the table. I started to get impatient because I worried they’d forgotten about me. What about my drink, dammit? Jeff was the first one back, and he seemed to be skirting By as much as possible. “Jeff,” I said in a low voice, “What did he do that’s got you so upset?” 

Jeff put his head down on the filthy table. “Ugh,” he said. He left his head down for a moment, and then looked at me. “Nothing that terrible,” he admitted, “but it totally came out of nowhere.” 

I was about to reply when By and Jordan joined us at the table. Jordan held a cup out in front of me. “Half lemonade, half 7Up. No ice.” 

I beamed, my irritation over being left behind forgotten; he’d remembered my drink preference. “Thanks!” Jordan slid onto the bench next to me and put his own cup down. He was so close I could hear his heart beating, and he put a hand on my back. Byron sat down across from Jordan. Before Jeff knew what was happening, By draped his arm around Jeff’s neck and put his face into the hollow between Jeff’s shoulder and head. Jordan and I pretended to look the other way for a moment. Some words must have been exchanged, but I never heard a thing. I just saw Jeff lean over a little bit and kiss By’s forehead, and I knew they’d be alright. At least for the rest of the night. 

Adam and Tiff returned a moment later. Adam strategically sat next to Jordan, putting a friendlier Byron next to Tiff. He looked over at By and Jeff and raised his eyebrows but didn’t say a word. Byron sat up straight but kept his arm on Jeff. “So…” he said, hoping to start a conversation. 

We didn’t get a chance to find a topic. We were interrupted by a spate of noises from the booth in the corner, just two tables away. It sounded like a group of geese honking, only three times as loud. Jeff and Byron briefly turned around, but seemed largely unconcerned about the sounds. Tiff, on the other hand, lingered more on the group of teens making the noises. She looked annoyed. “What asylum did they escape from?” she asked. 

I felt my whole body stiffen. “They didn’t come from an asylum,” I hissed. I reached across Jordan and tapped Adam’s shoulder. Without a word, both brothers got up, and I walked over to the other table. 

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Tiff watching me. I reached the table and touched one of the boys sitting there on his shoulder. “What’s she doing?” I heard Tiff ask Adam. 

The boy turned around and grinned at me. He greeted me, his fingers flying. I gave him a small hug and returned the greeting and spoke to the table at large without saying a word. “That’s her brother,” Adam said, pointing to the boy I’d hugged, “and he’s deaf. I’m guessing all his friends are, too.” 

I didn’t get to see Tiff’s face, but she didn’t respond verbally to that. After learning that Matt and his friends had just come from a soccer game where they’d kicked the other team’s ass, I returned to my table. Adam and Jordan stood again to let me back into the booth. I looked at Tiffany. She seemed absolutely mortified. I was ready to make some kind of nasty statement, but after looking at her, I bit back all my comments. 

Tiff was making it hard to continue to be nice to her, however. It seemed like every time she opened her mouth, she said something designed to annoy. There was a crack about health food “nuts,” for starters. Jeff, who seemed to have made up with Byron but was still quieter and more reserved than I was used to seeing him, winced when she said that. 

Then, when talk turned to school, Tiff mentioned how she’d barely scraped through high school. “Both of my sisters just about kill themselves over tests and assignments. I’ve never understood that. People who spend that much time studying really need to get a life.” I turned to Byron, who had just found out he was going to be salutatorian of the class of 2004. He’d earned that title not because he’s way smarter than the rest of us, but because he works his ass off. He was looking at his lap, his eyebrows knitted together. 

I kept waiting for Adam to say something. I know he was desperate for the night to go well; every time Tiff made some kind of inadvertent social blunder, he changed the topic. But yet, he kept letting her talk. 

Jordan, who had either changed his mind about Tiff or was as desperate as anyone else at the table to keep things from going into the crapper, asked her about college life right as the pizza arrived. She didn’t answer right away; there was a flurry of activity as pizzas were shifted around and slices found their way onto plates. The mushroom pizza ended up right in front of me and Jeff, which is exactly where it needed to be. I found that I was starving and crammed three slices onto my plate. I’d eaten almost an entire slice by the time that I realized that Tiff had taken just one piece of pizza, which she was picking at slowly. Was that normal female behavior? I’d spent my teen years surrounded by boys. I put the piece down and watched Tiff for a while. She took a delicate bite of pizza and then answered Jordan’s question. 

“Well, I don’t live on campus or anything since I go to the community college. But it’s pretty similar to Stoneybrook U other than dorm life and Greek life. I mean, we have clubs and sports and things. I never really got into that. One of the biggest clubs there is the Campus Crusade for Christ. It’s just a bunch of kids loving on Jesus. Not really my scene.” 

Jordan looked down at his pizza for a moment, and I waited for him to mention to Tiff that he’d spent the last four years as a member of a club just like that, but he kept his mouth shut. It was then that it dawned on me—Jordan wasn’t going to defend that lifestyle to the others because they didn’t know he was part of it. I was probably the only person at the table to know that he’d taken a purity oath. As much I thought it was pretty lame to be embarrassed of your choice to be religious, I couldn’t say much about it. I’d supported By through three years of me knowing he was in the closet without saying a word. It wouldn’t be right to comment on Jordan being in the Jesus closet. 

I spoke up anyway. “I hear those groups can be really supportive. You know, when you’re going through bad times.” Jordan flashed me a grateful smile, which I returned. I picked up my piece of pizza and finished it. Jordan liked me just the way I was, even if I ate like a pig. Why should I worry what Tiffany thought? 

“That’s probably true,” Tiff acknowledged. “Although, the SCC club’s president was involved in a giant scandal, I guess. As far as Christian-group drama goes. Apparently, just a couple months after she and a group of kids made a whole big show of making virginity pledges, she turned up pregnant. There was this whole mess going on all year long because of that.” I took a sip of my drink and was playing with the straw with my free hand when Tiff started talking again. “She got booted out as president and then out of the club altogether. If I were her, I’d just have told them I got raped. Would have solved the whole problem.” 

I dropped my cup on the table. The lid fell off and fizzy lemonade went everywhere. Everyone jumped up to grab napkins or get out of the way of the waterfall of drink. One of the triplets shouted, “Watch it, Haley!” but I didn’t catch which one. I barely heard him. I was vaguely aware that there was a puddle growing on my lap. I kept my eyes on Tiff, who, like the boys, was looking at the mess on the table. 

Only By was watching me, though I wasn’t even aware of it at the time. I stood up. “That’s it. I’ve had enough of this,” I said angrily, still looking directly at Tiff. She stopped trying to clean up the spill, and stared at me, bewildered. 

Jordan’s eyes were like saucers. “Haley,” he said warningly, but I’d already crossed the line and there was no going back. 

“You have no idea,” I said venomously, directly to Tiff. “You think being raped is a joke? You think it’s funny?” Adam backed unconsciously out of the booth and stood next to Tiffany, leaving only Jordan holding me into the booth. He put a reassuring hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off. “I wouldn’t wish a rape on my worst enemy. And right now, you’re not too far off from there.” 

I tried to leave the bench, but Jordan put himself bodily between me and the exit. “Haley…” he repeated, this time more soothingly. He sounded concerned and his eyes were sad. 

I was in mid-flight and there was no stopping me. “Get out of my way, Jordan,” I said, smacking at his arm. He pulled his arm away, looking wounded, and moved out of my path. I stalked out of Pizza Express without a backward glance. 

I didn’t realize Jordan was following me until I was about a block away. By that point I was sobbing pretty hard. He reached out and put a hand on my back. I knew instantly that it was him by the nature of the touch. I stopped walking and stopped fighting and let him pull me into a hug. 

We stood there silently like that until the tears subsided and I was all cried out. I regained my breath and waited for Jordan to chew me out. Instead, he just squeezed me tight. “Aren’t you cold?” he asked. 

I still had tears on my eyelashes; he wiped them away with one hand. “And wet.” 

“We’d better get you home, then.” 

We had walked to the restaurant, which I now regretted. It was dark now and even colder than when we went in. Even Jordan was shivering now, and it didn’t matter how close he held me, I couldn’t seem to get warm. 

When we arrived at my house, the lights were out and Daddy’s car was gone. Jordan looked at the dark windows. “Your parents went out?” 

“I guess.” 

Jordan frowned. “You’re all wet. Go inside and get changed. I’ll be out here when you’re done.” 

I hated leaving him freezing on the stoop, but he’s not allowed in the house when no one else is home, and my pants were nearly frozen. I ran in through the house to my bedroom, where there had been an explosion of clothes earlier in the day. I found a clean pair of jeans and a pink and yellow plaid shirt that I threw on, and headed back downstairs. 

I headed for the coat closet at the front of the house and pulled out two jackets: my favorite fleecy hoodie and a like-new jacket of Matt’s that he never wears. On the way back to the back door, I stopped and read the note tacked to the refrigerator: Haley and Matt…went to the movies. Be back by eleven. Mom and Dad. 

Jordan was sitting on the steps, and when I opened the door he turned around and smiled a little. I dropped Matt’s jacket in his lap and his grin got a little bigger. “Thanks.” 

Once Jordan had the jacket on, I sat down on his lap. It’s a sad but true fact that I fit there perfectly, with my head coming just between his shoulder and chin. With the coats on and shared body head to help keep us warm, we were feeling a lot better. Jordan pulled me close and hugged me tight, like he didn’t want to let me go. His mouth was right next to my ear. Normally, he would have started kissing me or breathing heavy or something, but neither of us was really in the mood for it. Instead, he sighed. “I wish you could trust me,” he said quietly. 

I turned to face him. “What are you talking about?” 

“Why didn’t you tell me about…?” He looked away and I could see he was struggling with the words. 

I furrowed my brows. “Jordan. I don’t even have the words for it, most of the time. It’s hard for me to say. I’ve only told one person ever, and that’s only because I was forced to.” 

He reached out tentatively toward my face and then withdrew his hand without touching me. “Byron,” he said, not really asking a question. I nodded anyway. “So it is true. You really were…”

Sometimes, Jordan is so much like Byron, it scares me. Although I guess it shouldn’t. They did spend about eight months sharing a womb. “Raped?” I finished his statement for him, because I knew he wouldn’t stop until I said it. It’s exactly how By found out, too. “Yeah. I was.” 

His face went through a quick range of emotions. Finally, he settled on looking sad, with something I’ve never seen out of him before. He looked like he was going to cry. “When?” 

I looked up at the stars. “A lifetime ago. Do you mind if I don’t go into it now? I promise, I’ll tell you someday. But this day has been hard enough without having to relive _that_ night over again.” Jordan nodded, and I looked back at him. He put his hand out again, and this time he ran his index finger down the length of my face, tracing the edge from my forehead to my ear, down the jaw to my chin. “And please, don’t think it’s because I don’t trust you. I’ve never in my life let someone touch me the way you do.” 

I could hear Daddy’s car pulling up the driveway as I finished my last statement. I stood up off Jordan’s lap and sat down beside him. He understood without my saying a word, but he pulled me as close as he dared and put his mouth next to my ear again. “I love you. I hope you know that,” he whispered. 

He’d joked about it before. Usually he joked that I loved him for some reason: his car, his friends, his family. This was the first time he’d ever come straight out and said he loved me, although I have a feeling he’d wanted to say it from the first time we’d kissed. And probably, from what I’ve heard, for a long time before that. 

I looked at him, not sure I could return the words just at that moment. But I didn’t get a chance to find out. Car doors slammed and my parents were standing there in front of us. “Haley? Jordan? What are you two doing out here?” My dad asked. 

Jordan stood up and then held out a hand to help me up. “I was seeing Haley home, but when we got here, no one was home. Haley was having a tough evening, so I didn’t want to leave her alone. I hope you don’t mind that we sat back here for a while.” 

I saw Mom and Daddy look at each other and have a little telepathic conference. Jordan ran his finger down the side of my eye, where I could still feel the dried tears from earlier. His finger came away green and that was when I realized that my mascara had smeared everywhere. My parents must have been able to tell I’d been crying. “You and your green eye makeup,” Jordan teased. I smiled a little back at him, and I knew he was okay for now if I didn’t say those three little words back to him. Which, being the person I am, made me want to say them. 

The little conversation Mom was having with Daddy ended and she turned back to us. “Well, next time you two come home to an empty house, you can go ahead inside. As long as you stick to the ground floor of the house and we don’t come home to see anything we don’t want to see.” 

I know my mouth hung open for a moment before I replied. “Really?” 

Mom laughed. “Yes, really. We could have come home to find Jordan trying to sneak out the other door. Or the two of you in the backseat of the car, giving the excuse that you were trying to keep warm.” I looked at Jordan, trying to have a mental conversation with him, along the lines of ‘why didn’t we think of that?!?’ I know he got the message because he was trying hard not to laugh. “Now we see we can trust you.” 

Daddy opened the door to the house. “Jordan? You coming in for a while?” 

He shook his head. “It’s been a long day. I probably should be heading home.” Daddy and Mom nodded and headed inside. Jordan turned back to me. “Call me when you get up in the morning and I’ll bring the jacket back.” He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. With that, he headed down the driveway. 

I waited until he was almost out of sight. “Jordan?” 

He turned around. “What, Haley?” 

“I love you, too.” I blew him a kiss. 

He lit up like I’d just plugged him into electricity. He reached out one hand and grabbed the imaginary kiss and planted it on his cheek. With a little wave, he walked away.


End file.
